Tuesday, May 17, 2011

There was a lot of chatter last week about a certain California hamburger chain that opened in the Dallas area. Apparently, people were so excited they camped out all night so they could be the first in line to try these fast-food burgers, and news reports said that one woman even cried when she finally ate her burger.

Now that’s a head scratcher. Why the heck are people so excited about this burger? First of all, Texas is not only the place where the burger was born, but also many of its countless burger joints routinely top national best-of lists. But even more troublesome to me is that this California burger chain doesn’t even offer the quintessential Texas hamburger side dish—yes, I’m talking about onion rings.

Onion rings are said to have been invented by The Pig Stand—a Texan drive-in restaurant chain that opened in Dallas in 1921. (The Pig Stand is also credited with the invention of Texas toast.) That said, you can find plenty of citations of fried onions and French-fried onions dating back to the late 1890s, so perhaps the Pig Stand was the first to serve onion rings at a fast-food establishment.

Of course, some may argue would say that the origin of onion rings is as debatable as the origin of the hamburger. But since Texas at least claims provenance for both, it makes sense to me to have a stack of onion rings with my cheeseburger. Most Texas-based burger establishments would fulfill this desire, but not that place from California. Nope, if you want onion rings with that burger you’ll just have to make them at home.
In season right now are Texas 1015 sweet onions, which I believe make the tastiest onion rings. If you’re unfamiliar with the Texas 1015, it’s a large sweet onion that grows in the Rio Grande Valley that was developed by Texas A&M in the 1980s, so named because October 15 is the optimal planting date.

Onions are one of Texas’ leading crops and the Texas 1015 is the state’s official onion. They’re similar to other sweet onions such as Georgia’s Vidalia onion and Washington’s Walla Walla onion, but I believe that Texas 1015 sweet onions are the sweetest and the juiciest. They’re so delicious that you can even eat them raw, and it's quality that makes them optimal for frying, as well.

I used to wonder why onion rings often cost more than French fries, but after making them at home, I gained an appreciation for the work that goes into creating a perfect batch. Sure, it takes a bit of time and finesse to make sure the breading adheres to the onion, and your frying oil must be the right temperature to keep the onion rings from being soggy. But once you get the hang of it, you will have a plate filled with spicy and crisp fried onion rings—the perfect accompaniment to a Texas burger.

Method:
Place the onion slices in a large bowl and cover with the buttermilk. Allow to soak for 15 minutes.

Mix together the flour, salt, black pepper, chipotle powder, oregano and cumin. Taste and adjust seasonings. Divide the flour mixture, placing half in a large food-safe plastic bag and the other half on a plate.

Heat up 2 inches of oil in a large pot or cast-iron skillet to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels.

To batter the onions, remove them from the buttermilk, reserving the buttermilk in the bowl, and place them in the plastic-bag with the flour. Shake until coated. Working one-at-a time or in small batches, take the floured onions and dip back into the buttermilk and then dredge in the flour on a plate. Fry in the hot oil until light brown, for about 2 minutes, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Oh saving us once again! Home made deliciousness! A huge pile of onion rings makes my face light up like a kid in a candy store. Living close to Walla Walla, WA I am really picky about onions and know that when you find the sweetest bulbs around there is no turning back. For the CA burger joint that opened in TX, I am unsure why it got so much hype, seriously folks......

Your dredging flour looks really good. I think putting the spice under the batter is interesting. Thanks for linking to the chipotle ketchup. I have a way that I make curried ketchup for "Indian style hot dogs". Chipotle ketchup is something I can really get behind.

I'm pretty sure California is about to revoke my native Californian status because I do not like that California burger chain. The burgers are okay, but their fries are disgusting. I would however kill to have a Shake Shack nearby.

Just wondering if you have read the book 'Recipes from Historic Texas' by Linda & Steve Bauer. I pulled it out of my bookcase this weekend and read the onion ring/Pig Stand story to my dad. My grandfather was one of the Pig Stand regulars in Beaumont.

Afterwards, my dad and I went to the Gristmill and enjoyed...onion rings. Which by the way is featured in that very same book!

As a resident of the Rio Grande Valley I completely agree. These onions are DELICIOUS and you can't help but want to put these onions in many dishes. When I lived in NYC I never found an onion that compared to it.

As a homesick Californian living in Houston, I know what it is like to crave the food of your home in a strange place and never quite find a joint good enough.

I think it is not so much that that place is so good (i think it is) but more that, we can now have a taste of home without having the pay $600 to go home and back. (I'm sure you know the feeling!) =)

I thank you so much though, your blog has helped to open my eyes to the delicacies of my adopted home and have really set the bar for going out times. I still haven't made it to Ninfa's BUT we have fount Tony's (610 and Ella) to be a very, very good Tex-Mex joint.

Keep the work coming! I'm trying to go up to Dallas for Memorial weekend for that place, but I can happily sustain myself on delicious Lankford's Grocery burgers with tots and rings until then.

Whoop! for Texas A&M developing that onion...yes, I'm an Aggie. On the subject of onion rings, do you know if there is any truth to the story that Sonic onion rings are dipped in melted ice cream? There is a hint of sweetness about them!

I agree, onions rings are soooo much better than fries with a thick juicy burger. having said that, my son-in-law asked me last year to make onion rings and enchiladas for his birthday lunch. I had never thought of that combo before but it was pretty good. Of course we had a good supply of antacids handy. Your recipe looks really good. As Usual !!

If they make it to Houston, I might try them, but since all other chain burgers are mid-pack, at best, I doubt they'll be displacing my Whataburgers. (I go to Whataburger because they automatically come with all my favorite toppings. I never have to make special orders so they never mess it up. Very convenient.)

The onion ring situation must be remedied, though. Not cool.

Darn. I was going to be good and eat leftovers tonight, but now I want to go to Puffabelly's for a real, non-chain, burger and rings.

I love making onion rings at home; most places get it wrong somehow, either with the onion, the thickness of the cut, or the batter. When you make these with burgers at home, it's more like a side dish that's home cooking instead of trotting out potato chips or a deli salad.

At first glance, I would have to think that the additional cost for onion rings would be because of the batter/breading/whatever you use to coat the rings. With French fries, it's usually slice the potatoes, and into the fryer. But then again, I'm somewhat indifferent to onions and/or onion rings, so this is mere speculation on my part.

I'm totally with you on the onion rings over fries, but as a native Californian living in NYC and who has also lived in the Southwest, I have to say that In-N-Out is much better than Shake Shack, but neither can hold a candle to Blake's Lottaburger.

I'm actually here in Dallas where all the craziness was happening. Every single last one of my friends, especially the non-Texans, were super psyched and kept informing me of the In&Out coming. I got sick of telling them that I didn't care and having their faces turn into a mix of shock and anger, so I pretended like it was a big deal. Why of all things though would Texans get excited about another chain? We have so many better little mom & pop places, including but not limited to the Dove's Nest in Ft. Worth that serves quail eggs on their burgers and the latest news frenzy, the Heart Attack Grill. We don't need some overpriced, hippy, California burgers.

finding the texas 1015 onion in my rural uganda location is impossible and i'll have to settle for the only kind of onion i can find (smallish purple ones) BUT i am very excited about trying this recipe for a taste of home! -thera

Just like the woman with the burger, I've even cried when I see our first Vidalia's hit our markets. :-) Yesterday, as I was rushing through the market, I noticed a big sign that said "new shipment sweet onions". I didn't grab any because they weren't from Georgia. Now I'm dying to get back there this morning and see if they're 1015's! You know I'll be grabbing a big sack full. Thanks for the information on that onion. And if they are, I'll be celebrating my new find by trying these rings.

I am another Texan, longing for the food of home. My husband brought me a huge bag of Vidalia onion's the other day....we live on St. Simons Island off the southern coast of Georgia. This recipe is just in time to be made this weekend. I can't wait to try them! Hope I can find all of the ingredients locally. Chipotle anything can be challenging! As always, you continue to inspire me! Thank you.

Another winner, Lisa! I never thought about the sweetness of onion rings emanating from the onion. It is probably urban legend, but I had heard that the unique taste of Sonic's O-rings was achieved by soaking the onions overnight in vanilla ice cream.

I don't have Texas 1015s in Virginia, so will have to settle for mere Vidalias!

Nel--Hope you enjoy it! I'd say that Vidalia's, which are more easily found in NYC are the closest to 1015s.

MidnightAgenda--That's very true! Enjoy your taste of home when you visit Dallas next weekend!

Racingyogagirl--I've never heard that! WIll have to investigate!

Brenda--I love the sound of an enchilada and onion ring combo plate!

Little Black Car--Yep, Whataburger is still my favorite, too.

Kristen--Hope you get a plate, soon!

Celeste--I find that most places either have to boring a batter or undercook them.

Heather--Thank you for your vote! And yes, a milkshake is a must!

Samantha--Thank you!

Farmer Jen--You're very welcome--enjoy!

Janus--Indeed!

Samba00--I need to try Blake's Lottaburger!

Born and Raised Texan--My thoughts exactly!

KisstheJoyAsItFlies--I find that red onions here are sweeter and milder than yellow onions, so I bet those purple onions will be fabulous fried!

Lea Ann--And I just about cried when I see Texas Rio Star grapefruit or Texas 1015 sweet onions in New York! I know the feeeling!

Melissa--You can always substitute regular chili powder for the chipotle powder if you can't find it. And I've always wanted to visit St. Simons--I had a boss who was from there and it sounded like the most wonderful place!

My husband sometimes reminisces about the days when he had to show up at his high-school Sonic job a couple hours early because it was "Onion Ring Day" -- all the rings were cut, dipped and battered by hand, and everybody on staff had to take a turn at the early morning duty.

Surely it isn't done that way anymore, but I do love the idea of lovingly crafted O rings. Yours, naturally, look better than any drive-in could produce -- even our beloved Sonic!

What I really miss are the old-time family-run burger joints once found out in the country. Sometimes Daddy would take us all over to Campti, LA -- a good 30 miles -- to get hamburgers and onion rings. That smell, the paper wrappers, the grease, heavenly.

Lisa, you must've read my mind. I was in San Antonio this weekend, and after a stop at Whataburger on the way home from the airport (obviously), we began planning our Saturday night quest for CFS. We ended up at The Gristmill in Gruene (our first time there) and saw another table order the onion rings and I immediately started salivating. We practically jumped on the server to order a plate before he was even done reading the specials. They were the best onion rings I've ever had, and they looked just like the ones in your photo for this recipe. I've had onion rings on the brain since then!

I am completely baffled about all the hoopla of this California burger making its appearance in Dallas. My husband is from California and used to rave about these burgers, so a few years ago on a trip to LA we drove through their drive through, since I had never had one of their burgers, and got some burgers. One bite later and we both were trying to find a trash can. They were boring, at best. After finding a trash can, we found another very delicious burger and vowed to never eat at that chain again. So, what's all the excitement about, especially when Dallas has so many wonderful burger places....not to mention onion rings to go with their burgers?! I'm a Texan. I grew up on great burgers and onion rings in Dallas, so I'm truly baffled about all the excitement.

My husband is in LOVE with onion rings. He did not grow up eating them, poor guy, so I will gladly make him these along with a good juicy burger! Thanks for the recipe, Lisa.

I get the impression that In & Out's reputation/notoriety is more Hollywood's doing than anything else.

I've never tried In & Out, but if you want a chain that makes great burgers ("steakburgers," to be precise), I would recommend Steak & Shake. And if you're ever in Louisville, I would definitely recommend both W.W. Cousins and Home Run Burgers.

Now those are what I call Onion Rings. The restaurants that serve 'bloomin' onions ought to be shot! Making rings is a labor of love, hot grease [oil for those who cringe at the word GREASE], and a cast iron kettle. Congrats! on your award and your blog. An ex-pat in Oregon.

I'm sure most of the hoopla is just nostalgia for displaced californians. I'm sure it'd be a zoo if whataburger opened in NYC. The thing that is good about in n out is that everything is fresh. So, its like whataburger with smaller burgers and mayo instead of mustard. Both are good, but still just fast food hamburgers. I was so excited to try it after hearing so much, that it was the first thing i ate while moving to california. A better fast food hamburger, but still a fast food hamburger. I was a little sad that it didn't seem as good as its nyc rip off "Blue 9".

But really i just wanted to second samba's comment that you need to go to xi'an famous foods, lisa. I tried the lamb curry over noodles right before i left nyc and DAMN its like texas flavored chinese food. Straight up cumin and peppers! I'm kinda sad I didn't get a chance to go back and try the lamb burger. Its off eat broadway underneath the manhattan bridge while you're at it you can shop for dirt cheap produce (3 lbs of jalapenos for $1 i found once!)under the bridge.

I've never had a burger from that particular chain, but I have to say I get the hype... Blue Bell Ice Cream just started getting distributed in Colorado and let me tell you, after being here for 5 years without Blue Bell it was like heaven when I had that first perfect bite of Homemade Vanilla. It's amazing when you get to eat something you grew up with after years of not having it. Have to say though, I really honestly think Blue Bell is some of the best ice cream in the world!

Those onion rings look fab by the way! I don't usually make fried stuff at home since it's a lot of work, but I might just have to try these.

it's funny - in Portland, people stood in line for days when a popular doughnut shop opened, and my friend says: "People will wait in line for 2 days to get a doughnut, but they won't take the time to vote."

I must say, I am partial to the beer batter, just a little easier. Mix, dip, fry. Maybe with some Shiner?

Now, I'm going to date myself.Back in the early 60's, my boyfriend was the book keeper for a large milk distributer in Texas. He said that the Dairy Queen franchise used their soft ice cream mix as a batter for their onion rings. It was a "secret."I don't know when Sonic opened. So, don't know if they used it.

Jacob...Do they really have Shiner up there? It is brewed in Shiner, Texas... almost in my backyard here in South Texas. You put a smile on my face.

I tried making onion rings before and it was a giant fail. I think I overbattered and people didn't eat them right away. They were still delicious but I wasn't sure if they were worth the amount of work. Yours look perfect! Perhaps I'll give it another whirl.

Fantastic recipie, I´ve been in glasgow 3 weeks ago in a butguer gourmet restaurant (Ketchup) and they have one of the best onions rings in whole UK. I will try your recipie for see if i can match the restaurant. Thanks

I've been a loyal, lurking reader of your wonderful blog from some time now, and have finally decided to comment. As a Louisiana native who lived in Texas for a few years, I can attest to all of the delicious burgers (from Whataburger to Fuddruckers to Hub Cap, Goode Co, etc.) created in Texas. Oh, and a side of onion rings makes a burger a sublime meal, indeed.

I live in CA now and I can tell you, these CA burger chains are not very good. I'd rather just stay home and eat a PB&J!

These are excellent. Also great for jalapeno poppers...cut tops off, scoop out innards with melonballer, poke holes in bottom with fork. Soak in buttermilk. When ready to fry, stuff with mixture of cream cheese and shredded cheddar.

Great also for small panfish filets, like bluegill. Leave out the cumin and chili powder, substitute lemon pepper. Mmmmmm.

I haven't read all of the comments so I might be duplicating, but us "Homesick Californians" are thrilled to have our favorite burger chain in Dallas. I would liken it to your inability to find DQ-style steak fingers in NY. They're not the best food in the universe- but they symbolize a little piece of home. I wouldn't want a CA burger chain to try to make authentic TX onion rings anyway - they would fail miserably! Thank you for this delightful recipe.

Yeah I totally agree with the commenter above--In-n-Out isn't best burger in the universe, just a made-with-fresh-ingredients (and I think delicious) one, but for me it's more than that. It's the sun sinking over Newport Beach, sand in between my toes, and memories of summer vacations visiting my grandparents in Santa Ana. But, this blog isn't about Cali, it's about Texas, which is a place I've never been. Judging from your amazing recipes, though, I gotta go as soon as possible!

Great recipe, the whole family loved them. I went with the Chipotle Chile Powder.(Momma said they were the best onion rings she has ever had!).

Besides the commendations for the great recipe, what I wanted to mention was that I did these in a deep fryer rather than a pan. If anyone does them this way, I found they turned out absolutely perfectly when fried at 356 degrees F (180 deg C) for 3 to 3.5 minutes. Be sure to toss them around in the fry basket every so often to get good coverage. That's it!